Nas wrote:
man of few opinions wrote:
it wouldn't even be that distasteful if they decided to sit him to start Davis Webb. He is the guy who is supposed to be the "future" QB. If you really felt like you needed to see what you have, run that guy out there. If he isn't ready, then you stick with Eli until he is ready or until you draft a new guy next year. But to desperately hope a QB switch to Geno Smith can win you a couple games down the stretch to save your job is ignorant. Geno Smith should not be starting under any circumstance outside of injury to Eli Manning.
IMO it still would be. We aren't talking about Young replacing Montana. Eli earned the right to finish a lost season. Go in another direction next off-season.
I disagree.
Anybody remember the circumstances surrounding Eli taking over for Kurt Warner?
When Eli was named starter...
"My play yesterday I don't think had anything to do with
that," Warner said of the change. "Read into that as much as you
want, but there is a bigger picture here. There's more things that
are trying to be accomplished here, and that's why the decision was
made."
4 weeks later...
"The young quarterback obviously struggled today," Coughlin said. "I gave him every opportunity to work his way through it. It was obvious at one point that it wasn't going to happen today so that's why we made the change. Kurt (Warner) played very well in his role at the end of the game. Eli is still the starting quarterback."
That Warner was able to come into the game and complete six-of-nine passes for 127 yards and a touchdown in two series, while all Manning was able to do for close to four full quarters is gain 27 yards had many Giants shaking their heads.
"Coach wants us to win a game, but he's not giving us the best quarterback to do so," one starter said.
"It seems like Eli needs to take a little break and we should let Kurt play," another vet added.
Manning believes that he doesn't need any time off.
"I don't think so," he said. "I watched the first nine games, and I learned best by getting out there. Even if I have another day like this, you're still getting live action. Even if you're learning the hard way, you're still learning out there."
It's obvious that young Manning has plenty to learn. He made many poor passes and bad decisions as he was picked off twice, narrowly averted disaster on a couple other occasions and lost a fumble.
"I don't think I can pin it down to one thing," he said. "I didn't play well, I missed some throws, I made some bad decisions."
Warner entered and immediately lit it up, hitting Ike Hilliard for a nine-yard gain, connecting with Amani Toomer on a 41-yard catch-and-run and finding Jeremy Shockey for 22 yards to set up Tiki Barber's one-yard TD run.
Yet, Coughlin is going to stick with Manning, and felt strongly enough about it that he told his players in the locker room immediately after the game.
"I think it's important for everyone to know that that's the way it is," he said. "I made a decision. It is my responsibility."
If he were anyone other than Kurt Warner you'd be surprised that the backup also supported the decision.
"I think it was the right move," Warner said. "The decision was made four weeks back to go with Eli. This guy is the quarterback of the future for the New York Giants, period, no question about that. You're going to have some of these kinds of games as you try and grow and learn in this league.So, I think Eli would have loved to do the same for Webb.